Krista Raymer

Walmart is introducing electronic self edge labels across its stores. The roll out will be complete by 2026. Of course, rumors are now flying that Walmart will introduce some kind of dynamic or surge pricing. Personally, I don't buy it. Walmart has spent years and years building up trust with the consumer on pricing. Indeed, low prices are one of Walmart's key points of differentiation. Why on earth would it put all that at risk? No, this is about one thing: reducing the amount of time and money spent on changing tickets manually. Across all of its stores, Walmart can save a heck of a lot by making this switch. I chatted with CBS News about the move... https://lnkd.in/eFmwmjGp #retail #retailnews #pricing #digital #Walmart #grocery

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Live Event Today! Join Rick Watson, Joe Risico, JD, CPA, and me at 1:00 PM ET for a webinar about Delivering The Modern Brand Promise. At RMW Commerce, we have an opinion about the state of affairs in the world of #commerce. We believe we are transitioning to a new era: the Era of Efficiency. Leaving behind the eras of Growth at all costs (including your business in many cases) and Profit, there is a new metric in town: Efficiency. Consumer behavior is changing, and as a result, consumers' expectations are changing. There is a new brand promise: the modern brand promise. We will talk to you today about the strategies and solutions available to Deliver The Modern Brand Promise. Avoid being behind the times. Sign up. You don't want to miss it! See you today! https://lnkd.in/eisAa7pZ

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The rise of online shopping has transformed the retail landscape, with e-commerce sales doubling over the past five years. Yet, the convenience of home delivery comes with hidden sustainability costs that many consumers are unaware of. US. e-commerce alone contributes to ❌500 million pounds of plastic packaging waste, ❌the loss of one billion trees for cardboard, and ❌30% of landfill tonnage, alongside ❌4.4 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. A thought-provoking study suggests that omnichannel retailers can compete with Amazon by emphasizing sustainability. How? 👉By educating consumers on the environmental and social impacts of home deliveries. Surprisingly, when provided with information on the benefits of store pickup in reducing waste, emissions, traffic congestion, and accidents, …. …🥁🥁🥁 60% of participants shifted their preference from home delivery to store pickup. It's clear that consumer awareness and education play a vital role in shaping sustainable choices in #retail. As the industry evolves, embracing sustainable practices is not just a trend but a necessity for retailers looking to capture market share and drive real sustainability-performance. #Ecommerce #Sustainability #Retail #ConsumerBehavior

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Coming to your ecommerce store soon. Shopify's Product Offers! 🚀 Shopify's latest feature, Product Offers, is going to be a game-changer, allowing merchants to create targeted upsells and cross-sells, thereby enhancing both customer satisfaction and revenue. Without your having to buy yest another app! Personalized deals have shown to not only boost the average order value (AOV) but also enhance the overall shopping experience. Merchants leveraging this feature have reported remarkable increases in AOV, with some even utilizing it for effective abandoned cart recovery, using tactics like discount codes and free shipping. Data highlights the untapped potential: the US sees an average order value of $76.27, and with 35% of abandoned cart emails leading to sales, the opportunity for growth is immense. Moreover, 56% of shoppers prefer personalized offers, aligning perfectly with Shopify's tool that capitalizes on this preference to increase sales and customer loyalty. It's in beta right now but hopefully will be coming out before we hit peak Q4 trading. WIll it be on your wish list? #Ecommerce #Shopify #CustomerEngagement #Retail #AOV #Personalization #SalesGrowth #CustomerSatisfaction

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Just jumped off the Shopify Q1 Earnings call. Shopify is nearly 20 years old and I can say with confidence that you are seeing the strongest version of Shopify in our history. We are building a 100-year company and focused on delivering both growth and profitability. Here are 3 important stats from the Q1 earnings call: 1. GMV was up 23% YoY in Q1 2. Gross profit dollars for the quarter were over $950 million and our free cash flow was over $230 million, with free cash flow margin doubling year over year 3. And, we did almost $2 billion in revenue - that’s up 23% year over year (or 29% excluding Logistics) We will continue to relentlessly innovate and make commerce better for everyone. I can’t wait for you to see what we have in store for the remainder of 2024 and beyond🚀

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Ted Baker has been through the ringer. And it's not the first time this brand has been in hot water. Authentic Brands Group was thought to be the one to save this iconic 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 brand but it seems that ABG added a lot of fuel to this fire. My comments were featured in Retail Insider: It seems the root cause of the demise of Ted Baker is ABG failing to make payments to suppliers. But that can’t be the full story. ABG has a lot of brands under its portfolio so why the delinquency of payments to Ted Baker’s vendors? If vendors aren’t paid and are holding shipments, their own stores would be empty and wholesale accounts would be furious. Something doesn’t add up. The WSJ quoted: A decline in sales and a technology transition that occurred in the midst of the company’s busiest selling season were also to blame, according to the court filing by Adams and a filing by Alvarez & Marsal, the monitor appointed to oversee the Canadian insolvency. Why risk reputation and retail partner relationships just to close Ted Baker’s doors? Last year, Ted Baker expanded their North America merchandising team and leveled up staff to scale the US/Canada business. Hiring merchants would improve product assortments and increase revenues and relevance in the market. In fact, just 8 months ago, the NYC team was looking for buyers and planners to join the team. If an unsuccessful technology transition was to blame, why didn’t ABG work with OSL, who has a Canadian investment in the brand, to work on these issues? OSL is a technology solution provider. Again, something just doesn’t add up. The Wall Street Journal Mario Toneguzzi OSL Retail Services #retail #retailnews #tedbaker #ABG #fashion #stores #merchandising

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Just in time for your morning commute. Get ready to cut through the Bullshit on the next episode of The Brian Librach Show! We're diving straight into the reasons why you're not getting what you want from people – no sugar-coating, just straight-up truth bombs. Plus, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we're spotlighting Dr. Doug Brackmann book, "Driven: Understanding and Harnessing the Genetic Gifts Shared by Entrepreneurs, Navy SEALs, Pro Athletes, and Maybe You!" Get ready to uncover what it takes to unleash your full potential. And hey, to all the folks at Rue 21 and Express facing bankruptcy, here's your reality check: Stay confident and keep pushing forward. I've got some tips to help you navigate your next steps. But that's not all – we're also tackling the empathy deficit. What's holding you back from truly understanding others' perspectives? Tune in for some hard-hitting insights and practical strategies to become a more empathetic badass. YOOBIC RETHINK Retail Don't miss out – join us, let's #getupandgop and kick some excuses to the curb! Click to Listen: https://lnkd.in/e8iV9gd4 and here to grab a copy of The Retail Leaders Roadmap https://a.co/d/2qjoAZe

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Why is brand neutrality so important as a retailer of multiple brands? I am far from a brand expert and I could still confidently write a handbook on this subject. When we opened Vancouver Running Co. our biggest challenge was getting footwear brands on board. Vancouver is a highly political run specialty market and for brands to sell product to us was akin to the Canucks losing in game 7 to the Bruins (this still hurts) in the eyes of their other accounts. It was cause for riot. Why? Those other account's success was coming from the brands success, and (apologies if this comes off as harsh) maybe not necessarily anything else they were doing ( 😬 ). Their success would be highly contingent on how the brand was doing and worse so, if the brand made some bad corporate decisions on highly divisive topics...yikes. I realized pretty quickly that we needed to ensure our brand was the one people were after and whatever our product assortment was at the time was 100% what we say was best. So, we did exactly that. We created unique projects, partnered with like-minded businesses (shoutout to Physioroom), held one of a kind events/activations, and created collaborations that were VRC first. We created our own shoe fitting protocol that became so personalized and knowledge backed that the logo on the shoes was rarely a concern. Did we miss out on sales? Oh for sure. But far less than if we leaned into a brand. Many of those brands we were initially after are now partners. Some aren't. But with RunReady coming shortly...hmm (a post for another day). Bottom line: Your brand is first and should always be. Market your own way, fly your flag and become a brand others want to work with. Fun fact: both you and the brands you work with are going to have way more fun...I can vouch for that.

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Fashion, Customer Experience, Value, Loyalty, Consumer Preferences all have different meanings between Canada and the US. That’s why often retailers looking for expansion in Canada don’t always make the big migration. They can’t find a fit here anymore than Canadian brands fit in the US. And those that do make the cross boarder jump are few. Canadians do want to buy from luxury brands but, affordability always wins over desire. And consumer views on fashion differ from Montreal, Toronto, Calgary to Vancouver and everything in between. That’s why I tell clients stop thinking luxury experiences, start thinking pragmatic experiences, relative to your brand. When I attend conferences everyone gets excited by the stories of retailers in other countries but the truth is it’s not practical and it’s not Canada. I’ve seen many of these ideas fail. What is likely to change faster in Canada than the US is our adoption of AI and personal AI assistants. Why? Greater convenience, Canadians want more free time, the less they spend doing mundane tasks the more time for themselves, family and friends. When you think of Canada we may be the US trusted neighbor but we also look to Europe and respect their work life balance. We don’t have the buying power of our American neighbors, nor the discretionary spending. This weeks business brief newsletter is about lifestyle and work life balance. #retailing #strategy #ceo #technology #innovation

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Making the leap from DTC into retail can be make or break. It can be the spark that triggers hockey stick growth for some, or the beginning of a long-winding road to bankruptcy for others. Brands that execute the transition successfully all have the same North Star…..VELOCITY (how fast a SKU moves). Maximum velocity requires packaging that almost pulls the product off the shelf. Unfortunately, some brands don’t consider the fact that what works in a DTC environment doesn’t always translate in a retail environment. Some things to consider: 1) Storytelling: There’s plenty of opportunity to tell your brand’s story throughout the digital  discovery and purchase process. In a retail environment, you have to assume the first time a consumer meets your brand is on shelf. Storytelling has to be conveyed directly on pack. 2) Unboxing Experience: A unique and well thought out unboxing experience can lead to valuable (and free) social content from DTC consumers. Not as much in a retail environment. 3) Shelf Appeal: When a consumer makes an online purchase their face is inches away from the screen. It’s much easier to see every little detail of the packaging. Brands can get away with smaller typography, detailed iconography, etc. At retail, this isn’t the case. Consumers are typically standing at least a few feet back from the shelf, with a plethora of competing brands sitting right next to yours competing for their attention. Bold and big typography, vibrant colors, unique form factors are a few things that help a brand stand out. 4) Replenishment & POP Displays: Packaging that’s easier to restock than most, and shippers that can be converted in POP displays (vs brands that use separate displays), should help ensure that your inventory is always on shelf vs. sitting in a corner at the back of the store. KitPrint client: Wandering Bear

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Two big things we are seeing at Shopify: a resilient consumer and the rise of entrepreneurship. 1️⃣​ The consumer remains resilient People are still buying from brands they love like Alo Yoga, SKIMS, BARKBOX, INC. and Glossier, Inc. all of which are all powered by Shopify. 2️⃣​ More people are choosing to be entrepreneurs.  At Shopify, we’ve seen the volume of entrepreneurs starting new businesses has more than doubled in recent years. There has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur - that’s why everyone is choosing to build on Shopify. This afternoon on Fox Business Network 👇 📺

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Aritzia is consistent. From in store experiences to product. One thing The Business of Fashion did not highlight was the store associates. They are by far some of the best. Product and customer obsessed. A winning combination as Artizia continues to grow and capture the market across generations. #retail #fashion #stores #TRE #merchandising

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Our most popular post from last week. And for good reason. If you're in #retail, you already know you're only as good as your District and Store Managers are. It's (finally) time to give them the training they need to succeed. Without hesitation, I can say these are the best #training programs we've ever developed. The secret sauce? A creative, effective and impactful learning journey each week. Learn. Apply. Accountability Sharing.

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The The FMCG Guys and I sure covered a lot in a quick 15 minutes! 🩵 A bit of background on Albertsons Media Collective and how far we’ve come … 🩵 A little slice into our #culture 🩵 A discussion on what Retail Media needs to consider as Google depreciates the 3rd party cookie. 🩵 How Brands and Retail media networks should think about expanding into #awareness channels. 🩵 How AI can be used as a tool for #retailmedia and the importance of data cleanliness and data fidelity. 🩵 Looking to Europe as to how to do in-store well.

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Here are some interesting stories from the world of retail for Monday, September 9: 🏪 Alimentation Couche-Tard has told Seven & i Holdings that it wants to work together to agree on a friendly takeover, after the Japanese convenience store operator pushed back on the Canadian company’s initial proposal. 🚫 Discount retail chain Big Lots has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and has agreed to sell itself to an affiliate of private equity firm Nexus Capital Management. Nexus will serve as a stalking horse bidder. 💄 As part of its expansion strategy, E.l.f is partnering with top global retailers and distributors to drive demand and excitement in new markets. Notably, in Germany, the brand is launching in 1,600 Rossmann stores. 🍓 Kroger which reports quarterly results on Thursday. Those results will arrive right as it tries to defend itself and its planned $24.6 billion merger with rival Albertsons in court. 💊 GLP-1 drugs are booming among consumers. That means Americans are downsizing in fitting rooms and grocery aisles. One in eight U.S. adults have tried a GLP-1 medication and about 6% currently have a prescription. 🧴 Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop will slash nearly 20% of its workforce as it scrambles to pivot away from its image as a wellness and lifestyle brand to focus on peddling its beauty products, according to reports. 📱 Costco Wholesale has quietly rolled out a search warehouse inventory tool on its mobile app for some customers. The feature is in Beta testing. It can be accessed by clicking "warehouse" on the bottom of the screen. 🧵 Boston-based startup Galy says it has found an alternative that avoids the environmental issues of cotton production by growing it in a lab. Its process reduces water use by 99%, land use by 97%. 🚚 UPS is facing a backlash from extreme heat incidents. Driver Chris Begley’s death in August underscores a list of alleged heat-related incidents across Texas. 👩🏽‍⚖️ California Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed emergency regulations to address the manufacture and sale of illegal hemp products containing intoxicating cannabinoids like THC. 🇬🇧 Nearly 70% of UK adults have purchased Fairtrade products like bananas, tea, or coffee in the past year, driven by concerns over how the climate crisis could raise food prices, according to a poll. 🏥 Toronto-based private equity firm Birch Hill Equity Partners says it has signed a deal with McKesson to buy Rexall Pharmacy Group and online retailer Well.ca. 🚢 International shipping costs have surged by 244% since the onset of the Red Sea crisis, driven by attacks on vessels by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and global supply chain issues. 🖥️ If you reserve big-ticket purchasing for your laptop, you are a Millennial. Gen Zers will happily buy anything on their iPhones. #retail #retailnews #economy #DailyRetailNews

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Threats and Opportunities- Fascinating How Everything Converges And The Smartest Retailers Are Usually Ahead Of The Curve. This is not a full version of “The Business Brief” but a very abbreviated one. The idea for the cover comes from an article I wrote for the Toronto Star in March of 2020, with the beginning of the pandemic, where I said that the transformation of the retail sector was going to move faster because of fear. Inflation and higher interest rates also induce fear. Which pushes retailers with foresight to take their strategic games to a higher level. And the lessons are clear. Being a company that is technology first is a given now. And yes I am referring to AI. But what has hastened my views is the recent announcement from OpenAI preparing to launch SearchGPT, the implications are staggering. But is every retailer or company for that matter ready to be a technology first company? Get ready to lead or chase the future. #retailing #strategy #ceo #technology #innovation

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Canadian outerwear brand Canada Goose grew a solid 10% in FY24 with gross margin increasing from 67% to 68.8%. The foundation of these results is  DTC growing  Wholesale revenues decreasing  14 new stores and 3 temporary stores converting to permanent in the year Revenue for the brand is still heavily skewed to H2 v H1 (75% v 25%) From a product perspective:  Launched nine collaborations in fiscal 2024 Grew Non-Heavyweight Down sales from 43% in FY23 to 46% in FY24 Launched first sneaker line: the Glacier Trail After heavy criticism for their use of fur just a few years ago, Canada Goose looks to have turned a corner. One to watch. #CanadaGoose FY24 Highlights 📈 Revenue increased +9.6% to C$1.3bn 📈 DTC revenue increased +18% to $950m 📈 Wholesale revenue decreased -16% - due to lower orders and streamlining of wholesale segment 📈 Other revenue increased +97.2% to $70m - this includes sales to employees with the expansion of the employee purchase program. 📈 Gross margin 68.8% (up from 67% FY23) 📈 Inventory at year end was $445m 6% lower than the previous year 📈 SG&A expenses for FY24 rose to C$792.9m, up from C$667.6m FY23 🏭 Revenue by region: Canada $246m US $324m Greater China $422m APAC excl Grt China $84m EMEA $256m 🏭 Sales by channel; DTC $950m Wholesale $312m Other $70m 🏭 Retail Stores (average sales psf $3963) Canada 9 US 16 greater China 26 APAC excl Grt China 8 EMEA (incl LATAM) 9 FY25 Outlook ✅ Total revenue to grow in the low-single-digits year-over-year, with an approximate 25%/75% distribution split between 1H and 2H of fiscal 2025, respectively, which is relatively consistent with fiscal 2024. ✅ DTC comparable sales growth in the low-single-digits year-over year, and incremental revenue from three new stores and four concession-based shop-in-shops to contribute to DTC revenue growth. ✅ A 20% year-over-year decrease in wholesale revenue due to a tightening of our wholesale order book to largely offset the benefit contributed by DTC revenue growth and the planned pricing increase. ✅ Consolidated gross margin percentage to be similar to fiscal 2024. ESG  Sustainability goals 🌎 Move all packaging to more sustainable solutions by the end of 2025 - Progress; As of September 2022, CG has stopped the purchase of regular LDPE polybags , and moved to purchasing 100% post-industrial recycled polybags . 🌎 Eliminate single-use plastics that we cannot recycle in all facilities we own or control- Progress: All Canada Goose retail stores ended the purchase of any single-use plastics. 🌎 Purchase only PFAS-free Arctic Tech fabric (PFAS are often referred to as the ‘forever chemicals’ because of their extreme persistence in the environment)- Progress: Completed 🌎 In FY 23, 97% of all leather purchased was Leather Working Group-certified (PRMs = Preferred fibres and materials) 🌎 Ended the purchase of fur in Dec 2021 and ended the use of fur on products in Dec 2022

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To mark the beginning of Earth Month, IKEA stores throughout Ontario, Canada discounted items for its loyalty program members in its “As-is” marketplace, which includes used pieces, by 13%, the same percentage as the sales tax. Why is there a tax on secondhand items? That's the point that Ikea Canada and its allies are hoping to make with their +33k signed petition calling for the end of the double-tax on resold goods. There's a long history of governments playing a role in promoting sustainable consumer choices -- “Think: incentivizing the widespread adoption of electric vehicles through tax credits, or offering discounts for the use of reusable bags to reduce plastic waste.” Why not furniture (or apparel, or bedding, or toys)? 🌎

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